Moore, William Alfred, House
Why it's listed
Built between 1861 and 1863 for merchant and textile mill owner William Alfred Moore, this two-story frame house on Moore Avenue in Mount Airy is the oldest surviving building in the town. It is a traditional symmetrical I-house decorated with Gothic and Italianate details, including a pointed-arch window in the center gable, sawn brackets under wide eaves, and a polygonal bay window. Greek Revival features appear mainly inside, in pier-and-lintel mantels, two-panel doors and corner blocks. The house sits in a 4.1 acre landscape that retains original boxwoods, magnolias and carved granite pieces. In the front yard stands a hexagonal summer house of bent laurel roots, built about 1865, with matching furniture. Its design closely matches illustrations in A. J. Downing's 1844 landscape book, which is why it is considered rare. The Moore family has owned the house continuously since its construction.
Significance in brief: The house is Mount Airy's oldest surviving structure and is regarded as an architectural landmark for its mix of picturesque Gothic and Italianate detailing on an I-house form. The landscape, especially the rare rustic summer house nearly identical to a design in A. J. Downing's 1844 book, is cited as a significant surviving example. The house also has historical associations with the Moore family's business and civic life.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 86000406, listed March 5, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 202 Moore Ave., Mount Airy |
|---|---|
| County | Surry County |
| Listed | March 5, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86000406 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1861-1863 |
| Architectural style | Gothic and Italianate with Greek Revival interior features |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied by the Moore family's descendants; a c. 1925 expansion and remodeling and c. 1930 roof replacement are described. |
| Acreage | 4.1 |
| Within district | Mount Airy Historic District (Additional Documentation) |
| Coordinates | 36.50186, -80.60571 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 86000406.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q19987170
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.